You're Not Alone
by Warblerette1125
Summary: Mara and Jerome get stuck in the attic. Will they get scared? Will they make it out? Will they get together? Your chance to find out! Just read it! For Fabina.Fan14's Jara challenge!


As Jerome Clark walked back to the Anubis house from the main school building a strong wind blew his hair back as he chatted with his dear friend Alfie Lewis.

"Mara? No. No, no. You shouldn't even think about Mara and I in that way," Jerome said shaking his head softly at his friend

"I'm just saying, you seemed pretty into her back there."

"No. No. How could you think of Mara and I like_ that_?"

"I don't know. Maybe cause you two are spending a lot of time together,"

"That doesn't mean I like her!"

"You wanna know what I think?"

"What do you think, Alfie?" Jerome asked with a small sigh

"I think.. She's an alien and she's luring you towards her!" Alfie replied with a huge smile resting on his face

"Alfie!" Jerome said drawing his name out a little

"Hey guys! Could I talk to Alfie alone for a second, Jerome?" Nina asked Jerome with a polite smile

"Um.. Sure?" Jerome said with a slight look of confusion "But it's kind of his decision who to talk to,"

"I can talk, Nina," Alfie said sending a small glare towards Jerome

"Okay thanks," She said as she dragged Alfie off

He walked to Anubis house on his own and started to walk over to his room but saw Mara and walked up to her before he could even form a coherent thought

"Hey, Mara," Jerome said approaching her with a smile

"Hey. You wanna help me with something?" Mara asked

"Um, sure, but if its homework no can do." Jerome replied smirking slightly

"You know I wouldn't need help with homework. I need help to break the rules.."

"Ooh. Mara's turning to the dark side?"

"No! It's just.. I heard a noise up in the attic and wanted to investigate." Mara said getting a little defensive

"Don't worry, it was a joke. I'll help you. I assume you need to get to the attic?"

"Yeah. I heard this screeching noise from up there,"

"Follow me," Jerome said pulling a hair pin out of his pocket to pick the lock with and walking towards the attic

...

Jerome placed a brick in front of the door so it would stay open while they were up in the attic

"You ready?" Jerome asked Mara quietly

"Not really," She replied just as quiet her voice squeaking a little

"Good," He said dragging her in and as they started walking up the stairs BAM the door slammed shut behind them, the hair pin on the floor outside of the attic just out of their reach

"Not good_, not_ good!" Jerome said staring back at the closed, and now locked, attic door.

"Okay; Creepy sound comes from attic; we get trapped _in_ attic." Mara said worry in her voice "See this is why I don't break rules! It ends badly!"

"No. No, it'll be okay. Let's look for the creepy sound and maybe we'll find something to pick the lock with,"

"Yeah, maybe there'll be a random hair pin in the attic,"

"Maybe," Jerome said with hope as he walked up into the attic and looked on the ground at a newspaper lying around. "M-Mara?"

"What?" She replied while she looked in a couple boxes lined up against the wall

"C-Come look at t-this." He said holding up the newspaper

"Okay," she said as she walked over and looked at it "It's Victor. So?"

"It's dated 1922! And he looks -exactly- the same!" Jerome replied shaking

"Kind of creepy. But we need to focus on getting out of here," Mara replied softly

"Do you think we'll get out of here?" Jerome asked sadly

"I don't know. Maybe no one'll even know we're up here, although Patricia keeps sneaking up here in the middle of the night. So there's some hope,"

"In case we don't get out of here, Can I tell you something?"

"S-Sure," Mara said moving a little closer to him

"I.. I.." Jerome took her hand trying to look confident "I really like you, like not as a friend like. I like, like you, I have for a while.." Jerome confessed rubbing the back of his neck

"I.." She was a little bit speechless "J-Jerome.. L-Let's look for a way out." She said turning around as Jerome's face fell

"H-How do you feel about me? Like do you actually like me?"

"I-I don't know, Jerome." She turned around to face him "I-I'm dating Mick and suddenly everything springs up with you. And finding out everything about you, like your parents, your sweet side.. This is all _too _much, I don't know what to do. I like you, Jerome, I really do. But I don't like you like that."

"Okay.." Jerome said as he turned around to search the attic. A tear slid down his cheek

"Are y-you okay?" Mara asked trying to look at his face but he avoided her gaze

"I'm fine. I am," He said and looked in a box

"Jerome.. Y-You're crying,"

"No I'm not." He replied though it was obvious he was crying

"Jerome, why are you c-crying?" Mara asked still trying to look at his face and him still avoiding her gaze

"I'm not," He said as another tear slid down his cheek

"Yes, you are. Jerome.. What's wrong?" She asked as she finally saw his face

"Nothing," He said, still crying, as he slid down against the wall into a sitting position

"People don't cry over nothing, Jerome." She said sitting next to him and putting an arm around him "Especially you. I've never seen you cry,"

"If you haven't noticed I don't show much emotion at all." He said, his cheeks now covered in tear stains

"And that isn't healthy for a person, Jerome, what's wrong?" She asked again trying to get him to _answer_

"Everything.." He finally mumbled an answer of some kind

"Jerome.. Well that is an answer of some kind.." Mara said as she rubbed small circles in his back

"Everything is going wrong.. I wish I could just leave the planet sometimes.. Just go and float out in space.. Where no other life could get to me.."

"Jerome, you shouldn't say you don't wanna be here anymore.. There are lots of good things in life.. Even if it comes in small doses,"

"Mara, my parent's abandoned me when I was five. They obviously didn't want me, and you're with Mick so tha-" He got cut off by Mara's lips on his as she wrapped her arms around his neck

"You're not alone, Jerome, not as long as I love you." Mara said after pulling away

"I thought you didn't like me like that," Jerome said smirking a bit

"I did some thinking while you were talking and.. I love you, Jerome."

"What about Mick?"

"I'm breaking up with him as soon as we get out,"

"_If _we get out,"

"Stop being such a pessimist," She said as she hit him lightly on the arm

"Stop being such an optimist," He said and hit her lightly in return as they heard a noise coming from where the door was

"Do you hear that?" Mara asked

"Yeah. Let's go check it out!" He said pulling Mara up and running down to see Nina walking into the attic, followed by Amber, Patricia, Fabian and Alfie

"Ah!" Nina half-screamed low enough that Victor wouldn't hear "What are you guys doing in here?"

"She heard a noise and we came to investigate," He said running down and hugging them "I never thought I'd say this but: I'm so happy to see you guys!"

"What are _you_ guys doing here?" Mara asked them as she ran down and hugged them too

"We need to tell you something then. No one else can know, got it?" Nina said eying them seriously

"Got it," Jerome and Mara said together

...

"So, we told you guys our secret. Now tell us something." Patricia demanded

"Okay. What do you wanna know?" Mara responded

"Why had Jerome been crying?" Amber asked

"Well I'm leaving now," Jerome said and started to leave but Mara grabbed his leg preventing him from moving any farther

"He was scared," Mara responded

"Why did Jerome have, and still does, lipstick on his lips?" Nina asked

"We kissed," Mara said looking down and blushing

"Why did you kiss?" Fabian asked

"Long story. It'll be told someday," Jerome said

"The Story of Jara?" Patricia asked "I kinda wanna hear it now."

"1, you won't get to hear it for a long time. 2, what is Jara?" Jerome asked

"Jara, Jerome and Mara combined into one word."


End file.
